


Learning To Be Still Again

by aerynthesebacean



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cottagecore, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Moving In Together, into a cottage, it's cute, jihoon is madly in love with soonyoung, like really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22834519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerynthesebacean/pseuds/aerynthesebacean
Summary: Jihoon and Soonyoung found the perfect place, a place they can finally call home. It just so happens to be a beautiful cottage plucked out of a fairy tale. After moving every last box, Jihoon finally finds time to let himself breathe.
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86





	Learning To Be Still Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shkespeare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shkespeare/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift to my best friend in the entire world! I hope you enjoy it ;-; (I know you will but I have to at least try and sound modest)  
> I also hope that anyone else who reads it also enjoys it! :)

“Why does it look smaller now than when we last visited?” Soonyoung asks, putting down the final box in what will be their living room. 

“It’s filled with boxes now, last time we were here it was empty because we’d just bought the place.” Jihoon tells him. “Plus, it _is_ small. We bought it more for the land than for the place itself.” 

“Yeah, I can’t wait to make this place ours. It just feels so homey.” Soonyoung’s voice is filled with delight, childlike wonder coursing through his veins. He was Jihoon's foil, the perfect accomplice to his rose-tinted glasses. But Jihoon, forever practical, can’t help but interject,

“I can, look at all these fucking boxes. I didn’t know we had this much shit.” He sounds exasperated, Soonyoung’s giggle telling him that his boyfriend certainly doesn’t feel the same. 

“It’s going to be fun! We own a cottage now! Look at this place! It’s a fairy’s dream.” Jihoon grumbles. “Oh come on, I know you like to nap but you’re telling me this place isn’t perfect? That you can’t see us... well, _me_ , baking bread here? We could get _bees_.” 

“No bees.” 

“Okay no bees, but this place is perfect. I know you love it too.” He says through a pout, reaching for Jihoon’s hands. “We brought some food with us... let’s have a picnic in the garden. The weather is perfect for it. Please?” 

Jihoon can’t help but smile when he looks at Soonyoung’s face, he’s never loved anyone as much as he loves his Soon; always so bright, always seeing the good in things. He kisses him gently on the lips, 

“Okay, yeah.” He says softly, making Soonyoung jump up and down on the spot like an excited child. 

“We have bread and jam and fruit and honey and _cheese_ oh this is going to be great.” Soonyoung disappears in an instant, and begins busying himself with collecting everything he mentioned, a new vigour in him at the thought of a picnic. 

Jihoon, however, stays where he is. He looks out the window, golden light casting through the panes of glass, small shadows cutting through in the shapes of the rich, verdant foliage in their new garden. Flowers and plants that they have yet to find the identity of, all carefully collated in Jihoon’s beloved book on flora, each plant beautifully illustrated with care and impeccable detail. As much as he doesn’t want to bring himself to admit it, he was beyond excited to discover the magic in all the nooks of their new home, and he was overjoyed that he had Soonyoung at his side through it all. 

The stone steps nearly concealed in grass, the small greenhouse at the front of their garden, the various bushes flush with sweet berries, the small and ever-present brook that runs alongside the grassy knolls that the land was abundant with. It was all perfect, and it was _theirs_. 

He realised that for the first time in a long time, he was still. Completely still; and away from the city, the world was still too. Even with the constant fluttering of Soonyoung in his presence, he was perfectly still. It was something he had forgotten how to be, constantly moving, constantly doing something to fill every moment and avoid the oppressive, perpetual noise in his head. 

Yet, since he’d put down that final box, his mind had been quiet, peaceful. 

Soonyoung had slipped away, collecting plates and blankets and food for them, waiting to arrange it in their flourishing garden. Suddenly reappearing to ask,

“Jihoonie, are you coming?” He calls, peeking around the white wooden door in the kitchen, eyes expectant and glittering brightly. Jihoon smiles, his heart fluttering at his love, Soonyoung with the unending optimism; Jihoon will never understand how Soonyoung fell for him, and his unending pessimism. 

Advance after advance, Jihoon would push Soonyoung away, the hugs, the touches, the glances, all fried Jihoon’s brain and made his ears blush so hard they could radiate warmth through an entire concert hall. It wasn’t because he didn’t like him, it was because he liked him too _much_ , and he didn’t know what to do with himself. All that time and not once was Soonyoung deterred, unashamedly making advances at Jihoon because he just _knew_ that Jihoon liked him too, and Jihoon couldn’t have been more grateful for that, or for him. 

He finally steps outside, following Soonyoung, feeling the warmth of the sun settling into the afternoon, making the whole world look resplendent and rosy, and so beautiful. As beautiful as the gentle breeze tousled grass was, nothing could ever compare to Soonyoung, the most beautiful creation he had ever laid eyes on. Though, sitting on that blue blanket, carefully arranging food and making sure to leave enough room for Jihoon to sit too, it was an image that would be imprinted on his mind forever. Even years down the line when he eventually proposes to Soonyoung, on the same day, in the very same spot, the same blessed radiant sun beaming down on them. 

He sits down eventually, Soonyoung still busy making everything perfect, leaving Jihoon wondering how he prepared it all so fast, or if he was really stood in the hallway for that long. 

“Let’s eat! I’m so hungry and this looks so good,” Soonyoung mumbles. “But what do I start with? I brought too much food out I can’t pick oh n-” 

Before he could finish, Jihoon picks up a strawberry, red and ripe, and pushes it into Soonyoung’s open mouth, silencing him completely. 

“Start with that.” Jihoon tells him, a goofy grin painted across his lips. Soonyoung lets out a satisfied hum, the strawberry so sweet it borders on nectar, something close to a libation to a deity. Perhaps it was, in Jihoon’s eyes at least; there was no one and nothing he could love like he loves Soonyoung, he might even go as far to say - not out loud at least - that he worshipped him. 

The breeze was perfect, ever so slightly tousling their hair, kissing their skin, and despite the gently shifting breath of air that was passing by, Jihoon felt still. He felt at peace. He let himself close his eyes for a moment, letting the sun touch his face, before his stillness was interrupted by a small foreign object being poked between his lips, and the noise of a giggling Soonyoung.

“I know you like grapes…” He excuses, and when Jihoon’s eyes snap open to see Soonyoung’s eyes screwed up so tight in joy that he can’t see, he doesn’t even have it in him to be mildly annoyed. Instead, his heart tightens momentarily, before feeling like it was drifting away, he was _that_ in love with him, it was almost nauseating. Yet, in the comfort of their own home, a little cottage on what felt like the edge of the known world, he couldn’t bring himself to care at all. 

He knew that their home existed outside of anything remotely considered worldly, it was something else entirely, and that was why he loved it so much. When he first laid eyes on it, it already felt like home, like belonging, like safety. It made him feel the same way Soonyoung first had, and always would, and would inspire a million poems and songs in this life and the next. 

He was sure of it. 

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to follow me on twitter! @starrysoi


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